February 2 (Monday)
Super bowl weekend, and the game was quite a good one. The weekend was not super -- I felt very lethargic all
weekend. I enjoyed a good break from work, however; but now I am ready to get back to work.
Animals are all doing well. Taz managed somehow to escape the fence again over the weekend. I don't know how he
did it, but I'll have to keep a watch on that.
February 3 (Tuesday)
Cold this morning, but the fireplace kept me warm during the night! Taz got out of the fence again yesterday. He must
be going over the top. I have had to disconnect the electric fence for maintenance purposes, but perhaps hooking it
back up may solve the problem with Taz.
My former employer, Otis, called me last night, asking for some assistance with a programming problem. It is a good
thing to have the kind of relationship with a former employer that he would call and ask for assistance. Otis and Debbie
have a few critters, themselves. They recently found what was apparently an abandoned pup, and they decided to give
it a home. Otis is concerned that the pup may have been abused since it is so squeamish around people -- especially
him. Perhaps some male human abused the pup at one time. Anyway, the news about the pup is good -- she is
growing and getting healthy; and perhaps within time she will come out of her shell.
| Being a lab, you would expect her to be all-over bubbly. Alas! She is not. But cute she definitely is! |
February 4 (Wednesday) 6:45 am
A very cold night and morning, but the fireplace did its job. At one point during the night I had to get out of bed to throw
a couple of logs on the fire. When I returned to bed I found myself rather cold -- not on the outside, but on the inside --
you know, that deep down "in the chest" kind of cold. Right about then Cathy crawled up beside me and snuggled up
under my chin and into my chest. Ah! She became my little hot water bottle, and I fell quickly to sleep.
| The fireplace (L.) does a great job, but when I get that deep down cold feeling, Cathy (R.) becomes my hot water bottle. |
February 9 (Monday) 6:45 am
Warm weekend. Not much to report on. The animals are all safe and sound, but I haven't seen BKI is a couple of days.
That is not unusual, but I always worry when I don't see one for a day or two.
February 11 (Wednesday) 6:45 am
I am a little heavy of heart this morning. As I passed through Wenasoga yesterday on my way home from work I spied
two dogs wandering near the tracks, very near the spot where I found Grace and her pups. One appeared to be about
the size and age of Taz, the other was a momma dog, which had apparently recently had pups. Her teats were still
swollen, and her mammary glands still full. I stopped my car and rolled down the window. While speaking to the dogs
they warily approached my car, wagging their tails. The allowed me to pat their heads. The appeared to be in fairly
good shape -- not emaciated or bony or mangy or anything like that, but it broke my heart to see them alone like that.
One of the locals happened to be driving by as I was talking to the dogs and no, he had never seen them before. I
decided that I could not take the dogs. I had no way of knowing if the momma had pups in the area, and I certainly did
not want to leave a litter of pups abandoned somewhere. So I drove off and left the dogs there.
Naturally it bothered me and bothers me still, but -- you cannot save them all. If the dogs had appeared to be sick and
hungry I would have taken them. I shall keep an eye out in case I see them again.
| February 2009 Daniel Taylor |
February 12 (Thursday) 6:40 am
All animals are well this morning. The BK that has been missing has been around lately. I have considered placing the
outside cats in a cage -- large enough to accommodate them all comfortably -- but cannot agree with myself to do so.
The cats really do a good job of keeping themselves safe and sound. Thankfully, living in a rural area like I do
decreases the probability of something bad happening.
I made an adjustment on the fence, and Taz has not crawled over since last week. So I have stopped worrying so much
about that. I did not see the two dogs I saw yesterday. I slowed down when I went through the area, but they were
nowhere to be seen.
I have had for some time now concerns about how things are getting on at the Corinth Alcorn County Humane Society
animal shelter. There was a turnover in directorship and management a few months ago, and what I have heard has not
been great. I tend to not get all bent out of shape over heresay, but I wish I could hear better things. I have my ear to
the ground.
| Please take a moment to read or leave a comment in my Guestbook, or read more about daily life at Willow Oak in my journal, or email me one of your own stories. |
February 16 (Monday) 6:45 am
What a mild winter we are having! I am still using the fireplace everyday, but we have avoided any extreme cold
temperatures, except for once or twice when the temps dipped into the low teens at night.
A mild, boring, and low-key weekend. Just the way I like it. Now it is back to work.
February 18 (Wednesday) 6:45 am
I hate to hear or talk about stories such as greeted us recently concerning the chimpanzee in California that brutally
mauled a human being, then was shot to death by police. I was sickened by what I heard as I'm sure most people were.
The incident does, however, go to show that, which I have been preaching for some time: no matter how tame or
innocent an animal may appear to be, accidents can and often do happen. Even with and among my own dogs and cats
incidents have occurred that haunt me to this day.
One must always be cognizant of the fact that these precious critters are not human beings -- even human beings do
crazy things. Never leave animals unattended or unsupervised when away from home. My dogs are confined while I am
gone. It is the only sure way.
I recently received an email from a reader, reprimanding me for confining my dogs. The reader claims to be an expert.
She informed me that I am cruel to my dogs for confining them while I am at work. I can assure you that allowing dogs to
roam free without some form of confinement is definitely the WRONG thing to do, and any owner that will do that is
simply irresponsible.
February 20 (Friday) 6:55 am
Back to being rather chilly. I had the fire going good last night, and frost was on the pumpkin this morning as I headed
out to work. But spring is on the way. Trees are already budding all over, and I hope that is not a bad thing. Quite
often, when the trees bud this early, a freeze will come along and kill the new buds, nixing any really good chances of
having as gorgeous a spring. I have a peach tree that occasionally falls victim to this phenomenon.
Nonetheless, the warm weather is welcome, and it is now time to get started at work.
February 23 (Monday) 6:40 am
Time moves inexorably along. Three weeks to spring. In this part of the world we had a rather mild winter -- none of
that nasty weather that many to the north of us saw. Even so, I prefer the warmer weather even over what we did have.
I confess that I have not always lived my life using only a fireplace in winter, so I am not really accustomed to it.
Nonetheless, I have survived, and having survived I am ready for warmer weather when I can put the fireplace aside for
a few months. Still ..., I do love that fireplace!
The animals are all doing fine. I love to see the smiles on those faces. I still think about those who are no longer with
me -- I cannot forget the love I enjoyed and shared with them.
February 25 (Wednesday) 6:30 am
The weather has begun a gradual warm-up, and sunset is beginning its slow graduation into the afternoon. I have
daylight on most days that I arrive home from work. I give the dogs as much time to run around outside as I can when I
get home. They stay cooped up all day while I am away from work, and they do love their freedom so.
February 26 (Thursday) 6:40 am
Very warm this morning. I am looking forward to more permanent warm weather. February is almost over, March will be
here, and with it spring. The trees will be budding, and the flowers will be blooming, and the birds will be hatching.
Spring! What a lovely time of year!